Credits:

Ensemble Gilles Binchois

Description:

The Fobordon: The Longest-Lasting Form in European HistoryFrom the Middle Ages through the 19th century, a diverse array of polyphonic music existed in Europe. There were truly various types of music, differing in the number of voices, whether they were improvised, and even in their notation. Among these, the Fobordon was the form that endured the longest in the history of the European church. In fobordon, when composing a piece for three parts, only the upper part (generally based on the chant melody) and the lower part (tenor) are notated, while the middle part is played a perfect fourth below the upper part. Music was performed in this fobordon style until the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s decided to discontinue the use of Latin in the Mass. This two-disc set features works carefully selected from thousands of scores by the Ensemble Gilles Vanchois, led by Dominique Verard,